


Case Files, What is My Life Now, Edition

by SongsGiveGreatTitles



Series: I Write For Media I Haven't Actually Consumed [2]
Category: Kamen Rider - All Media Types, Kamen Rider W
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Real World, Canon-Typical Violence, Swearing
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-01-12
Updated: 2021-02-24
Packaged: 2021-03-16 09:53:23
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 12,083
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28704717
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SongsGiveGreatTitles/pseuds/SongsGiveGreatTitles
Summary: I would like to premise these writings with the information that I did not intend to get wrapped up in all of this. Some shady organization from an alternate, should be fictional, dimension decided to cause problems and I happen to like the area I live in. So I guess I'm a Kamen Rider now. At least I have my best friend along for the ride, alongside the only daughter of the most powerful family in the area, and a weird teacher at our college. It'll... Probably be fine, right?
Series: I Write For Media I Haven't Actually Consumed [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2104149
Kudos: 1





	1. Case File1: Welcome to a Not So New World/Measure Your Movements

**Author's Note:**

> All the chapters of these are written in a really summarized style. I guess the logic is these are suppose to be summaries of what happens.

As Andy and I got to his house, I noticed something on the lawn. It was a strange, colorful, USB. “Are you seriously going to pick up some random ass USB?” Andy asked me when I went to pick it up. I nodded, not seeing a reason not to. He squinted at it, “It kinda looks like a Gaia Memory. You know, from Kamen Rider W?”

I knew what he was talking about - I may not have watched W, and neither had he, but I knew what the Gaia Memories looked like. He was right, too. The USB I picked up was larger than any I’d ever actually seen, a dark purple color. Turning it around, I saw a stylized sort of “L” on it’s side. It was certainly odd. “I guess it does,” I agreed, unsure what else to say.

Since it was Andy’s lawn, I decided I would keep it, placing it into my pocket. For the rest of the day, I didn’t think too much about it. Then, the next day, people started finding more of these weird USBs. The kicker was, they’d feel compelled to try to insert them into themselves and they’d become weird sort of monsters.

What startled Andy and I, when we saw the news, was that many of them looked  _ exactly _ like Masquerade Dopants, also from Kamen Rider W. Hell, Andy even looked it up to compare. They’re exactly the same!

We decided to go out and look into it. Or try to. Then we encountered one of my classmates, Anna. She had one of those USBs too, which she used on herself, turning into some kind of monster. What the fuck. These USBs really were like the Gaia Memories. If what the sound the USB made was true, that meant it was the Hopper Memory.

Somehow, we managed to get away, and we ran into someone we recognized from school. Edda Poe, an odd person, often found around the science lab. She tells us she might have a way to deal with these monsters.

Dopants, we tell her. When she asks how we know, we explain how this all seems like straight out of Kamen Rider. After showing her a few things, she seemed to believe us. Then she set about working on what she was doing, using the USB I picked up.

Right now, I’m writing this in the lab of PCC that Edda has commandeered. Mr. Owens stopped by, briefly, - he didn’t seem to question what Edda was up to - but at the moment, it’s just the three of us. I figured I’d get a brief bit of everything that’s happened so far today written down.

Does this make me more like Shoutaro? If we’re going to be parodying Kamen Rider W, I might need to work on my Hard Boiled Detective Act. Or maybe I’m Phillip? Or Akiko? Who knows. Of course, Shoutaro’s the one who has to deal with all the shit the most directly, so that might not be good for me.

* * *

**Persons of Interest**

**Elyse Anders:** Listen, I’m not the most sociable, nor the most athletic, my skills generally lay in book smarts, which benefits me minimally in everyday life. Still, it doesn’t take a genius to figure out there’s something going on here, even if I’m not sure what. I don’t know if I want to be the one to find out, but if no one else is going to look into it… Then shouldn’t I? Age 19.

**Andy Mayfield:** My best friend, he’ participated in sports all throughout Middle and Elementary school, making him in far better shape than me. I trust him greatly, and regardless of whatever’s going on, I know I’m glad he’s the one who’s going through it with me. If those really are Gaia Memories… Then we’ll have to work together to look into them. At least Wikis still exist, glad those haven’t just. Phased out of existence or something. Age 19.

**Anna Mori:** A student at PCC, we share a Creative Writing Class. She seems nice enough, I guess. I don’t really talk to her much, but she can write some good stories, I’ve read some of them. I was surprised to see her with that strange USB, like the one I found at Andy’s. Then she turned into a monster… But why would she use such a thing? Did she know what it would do? Age 20.

**Edda Poe:** Even though Edda can be found around our campus, her family’s too rich for her to be attending community college. I don’t think she’s actually enrolled here. Not sure why she hangs around though. You can usually find her in this one lab on campus. I guess no one cares because her family established the place, probably gives you some pretty good privileges. She seems to be close with Mr. Owen, who was supposedly an old family friend. In all honesty, I don’t know much about  _ her _ personally. Just her family. Her family runs a company, started by her grandparents, known to donate to everyone in the area as being particularly generous. Age, like, 20-something.

**Mr. Owen:** A so called former family friend of Edda’s. He teaches at PCC, though outside of class, you can often find him with Edda in her lab. The two seem pretty close, though he’s definitely odd. He only came to Calamity a year or so ago. Who moves  _ to _ Calamity, or any town in this area? It’s odd, especially since he’s not that old and he’s single. Most people his age who move here have a family or are at least married. Age 34.

**Places of Interest**

**Calamity:** The city that Poe Corp is based out of, as well as where Andy and I live. There are three towns around it, though still several miles away: Miriad, Poe, and Dirge, Thankfully, they’re all pretty close, making it easy enough to traverse around, so long as you’re to drive at least half an hour.

**Poe Community College:** A community college established by Poe Corp, like many things in Calamity and the surrounding towns. This is where Andy and I attend. Edda, despite not attending PCC, can still be found around there, in one of the labs, as it is where Mr. Owen works.

**Items of Interest**

**Strange USB:** A strange USB I picked up off of Andy’s lawn. It’s bigger than any USB I’ve ever seen in real life. It’s this purple color, with an odd, possibly “L” on the wide sides. It looks like a Gaia Memory, from Kamen Rider W, but that should be impossible. Then there’s that strange USB Anna had, the one that turned her into a monster. That had to be a Gaia Memory, it worked just like one.

**Gaia Memories:** Strange, larger than average, USBs that contain extreme power. When used without a buffer, they turn people into monsters, called Dopants. The power of a Gaia Memories are best countered with Gaia Memories. I assume this is why the Lost Driver, Double Drivers, and whatever other things exist in series. But if these are really Gaia Memories, why are they here? They shouldn’t exist in our world! They should be fictional!

**Kamen Rider W:** A Japanese show that Andy and I are sort of familiar with. It seems like items from that show, Gaia Memories, are appearing in our world, somehow. Along with them, it seems, are the monsters they turn people into, Dopants - if Anna was any indication, at least.

**Hopper Memory:** The Gaia Memory that Anna has… It’s turned her into a Dopant, but we have no clue where she got it or why she chose to use it. Surely someone would have to have given it to her and told her how to use it, but who?


	2. Case File 1: Welcome to a Not So New World/With a Loud Roar! Kamen Rider Kit!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Elyse must use the device Edda has given her.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Honestly, these chapters are pretty short, but I just shove all sorts of random stuff in the details at the end.

Okay, so after Edda finished her project, she thrusted this belt into my arms. “Here you go,” She chirped, “One Kamen Rider Driver, for use with that Gaia Memory of yours.” She also handed me the USB - or rather, Gaia Memory.

I blinked after a moment, “What am I supposed to do with this?” I asked, eying the belt and the Memory. I don’t know what I was expecting from her, but somehow, these weren’t it.

She smiled, far too cheerful, “Why reinvent the wheel?” She noted, “If these Kamen Riders and their belts, using Gaia Memories the way they do, work in their world, why can’t they work here?”

“I hope we’re not going to have to discuss the Multiverse Theory,” I sighed, returning the Gaia Memory to my pocket. My eyes lingered on the Driver in my hands, before I sighed again and put it into another pocket. “Anyway, how exactly is this going to help with those Dopants? With Anna and the Hopper Memory?”

“How do you think?” Edda asked, though it was clear that she didn’t really expect a response. She continued talking, “Just like in the show. I assume. Press the button on the Gaia Memory, insert it into the slot on the Driver, push the lever down, and tell it what you want to do. Your big final attack requires you to place a Gaia Memory in the hip port. To untransform, you just pull the level up.”

There was one thing I needed to know, before anything else, “I hate this,” I said, “Why me? Why do I have to do this? Also do I have to say transform in English or can I feel really weirdslashcool and say henshin?”

Edda blinked. That was fair, there was a lot to unpack there. Finally, she responds, slowly, “Uh, I mean, this Driver’s designed specifically to be used with that Memory you have there. Uh, why not do it? I don’t know if someone else could. Um… You can say either, I made it compatible with every language I could.” Not much after, her cheer returns, “Now! You should go and look for either that Anna or the Hopper Dopant.”

I sighed, knowing this was not going to be fun or easy. Andy agrees to go with me to look for Anna. Or the Hopper Dopant. Really, they were one and the same.

It didn’t take us too long, once we found Anna, we tried to talk her down. Ultimately, she wanted inspiration and was certain that the Gaia Memory could give it to her. So now facing the Hopper Dopant, I had no choice but to use the Driver and the Lion Memory. I tried to get Andy to do it, but we got separated, so it had to be me.

Thus, Kamen Rider Kit was born. I was able to defeat the Hopper Dopant, using a Memory Break to knock the transformation out. While Anna fell to the ground, the Gaia Memory shattered, leaving only broken remnants. Andy picked up the pieces while I untransformed and helped Anna up.

We helped Anna home then returned to the lab at PCC. We figured Edda would want to analyze the shards of that Gaia Memory. I wanted to give the Kit Driver and the Lion Memory back, but she wouldn’t take it. Said it was my power now.

Except, I don’t want this power. I’m not suited to be a Kamen Rider, if anyone one of the three of us, it should be Andy. But he won’t take it. Points out how I seem to fit right in with a Kamen Rider from the series.

Then there's what Anna said after we helped her. She said she could recall getting the Gaia Memory from people she referred to as "kinda shady looking". Said they wore black suits with this big, white, "X" on them. Andy points out that sounds familiar, but I don't want to jump to any conclusions.

Sure, it might seem like Foundation X, also, technically from Kamen Rider W, although they're also involved with other series. But they don't exist, it's all fiction. Then again, so are Gaia Memories, until now...

* * *

**Persons of Interest**

**Elyse Anders:** Listen, I’m not the most sociable, nor the most athletic, my skills generally lay in book smarts, which benefits me minimally in everyday life. Still, it doesn’t take a genius to figure out there’s something going on here, even if I’m not sure what. I don’t know if I want to be the one to find out, but if no one else is going to look into it… Then shouldn’t I? I don’t really think that I’m suited to be a Kamen Rider, though. Age 19.

 **Andy Mayfield:** My best friend, he’ participated in sports all throughout Middle and Elementary school, making him in far better shape than me. I trust him greatly, and regardless of whatever’s going on, I know I’m glad he’s the one who’s going through it with me. Now that we’re certain that the Gaia Memories exist here - for whatever reason - we can use that to our advantage. Look up what the Memories did in series, like he did today. At least Wikis still exist, glad those haven’t just. Phased out of existence or something. Age 19.

 **Anna Mori:** A student at PCC, we share a Creative Writing Class. She seems nice enough, I guess. I don’t really talk to her much, but she can write some good stories, I’ve read some of them. I still have a hard time believing that she used a Gaia Memory though… Still, she can’t really recall much about the people that sold it to her, so that’s a dead end. Age 20.

 **Edda Poe:** Even though Edda can be found around our campus, her family’s too rich for her to be attending community college. I don’t think she’s actually enrolled here. Not sure why she hangs around though. You can usually find her in this one lab on campus. I guess no one cares because her family established the place, probably gives you some pretty good privileges. She seems to be close with Mr. Owen, who was supposedly an old family friend. In all honesty, I don’t know much about _her_ personally. Just her family. She created the Kit Driver, using the Lion Gaia Memory as a base for its power. She’s pretty smart, given that achievement. She seems to have an understanding of the Gaia Memories and their power, I think as long as we’re looking into them, we’ll be working with her, too. Her family runs a company, started by her grandparents, known to donate to everyone in the area as being particularly generous. Age, like, 20-something.

 **Mr. Owen:** A so called former family friend of Edda’s. He teaches at PCC, though outside of class, you can often find him with Edda in her lab. The two seem pretty close, though he’s definitely odd. He only came to Calamity a year or so ago. Who moves _to_ Calamity, or any town in this area? It’s odd, especially since he’s not that old and he’s single. Most people his age who move here have a family or are at least married. Age 34.

 **Kamen Rider Kit:** My new… alter ego, I suppose. I'm able to use the Kit Driver and the Lion Memory to become this person. I don’t know if I'm up for it, though…

 **Foundation X:** This bad group that shows up in a few Kamen Rider series, causing trouble and replicating transformation gimmicks. Could they be here? If so, do they have something to do with the Gaia Memories?

**Places of Interest**

**Calamity:** The city that Poe Corp is based out of, as well as where Andy and I live. There are three towns around it, though still several miles away: Miriad, Poe, and Dirge, Thankfully, they’re all pretty close, making it easy enough to traverse around, so long as you’re to drive at least half an hour.

 **Poe Community College:** A community college established by Poe Corp, like many things in Calamity and the surrounding towns. This is where Andy and I attend. Edda, despite not attending PCC, can still be found around there, in one of the labs, as it is where Mr. Owen works.

**Items of Interest**

**Gaia Memories:** Strange, larger than average, USBs that contain extreme power. When used without a buffer, they turn people into monsters, called Dopants. The power of a Gaia Memories are best countered with Gaia Memories. I assume this is why the Lost Driver, Double Drivers, and whatever other things exist in series. But if these are really Gaia Memories, why are they here? They shouldn’t exist in our world! They should be fictional!

 **Kamen Rider W:** A Japanese show that Andy and I are sort of familiar with. It seems like items from that show, Gaia Memories, are appearing in our world, somehow. Along with them, it seems, are the monsters they turn people into, Dopants - if Anna was any indication, at least.

 **Kit Driver:** The driver created by Edda to be used with the Lion Gaia Memory. Though I currently have it, I don’t think I’m cut out to be a Kamen Rider. I think I’ll give it and the Lion Memory to Edda, let her find someone else. Maybe Andy could do it.

**_Gaia Memories:_ **

**_Lion:_ ** _The Gaia Memory that is mainly used in conjunction with the Kit Driver. I found it on Andy’s lawn one day._

 **_Hopper Memory:_ ** _The Gaia Memory that Anna had, given to her by some “shady people”. She says she doesn’t remember much about them though, so that only helps so much. It turned her into the Hopper Dopant. I hope this isn’t a recurring thing. It broke after I used the Memory Break._


	3. Case File 2: Falling Into Rhythm/Denial of Power

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> There's something going on at local sweet stores Smiley Treats and Freezy Breezy, who also have a notorious rivalry.

Today’s escapade started in what most would consider to be pretty normal. I left Andy’s house - where I’ve been living - first, then he’d go to class an hour later. At lunch, we’d find somewhere to eat or go to Good Deeds Cafe or Everly Store to get food. On some days, that meant we’d go home after, though today wasn’t. We both had another class after lunch, before we went home after that class, we stopped at Freezy Breezy, since it was right between PCC and his house. He lived really close to campus.

Freezy Breezy was not in good shape. There were wooden planks nailed over where the windows should be and the tables and chair out front were a bit… broken. We only ever stopped here once a week, but we’d have noticed when we went to school. Vaguely, I could recall seeing the state of this place like this for a few days.

Walking in greeted us with the sight of the owner of Freezy Breezy, Gary Poll. He seemed a bit stressed. Then one of the people who worked there, one of my classmates from PCC, comes to take our order.

When we ask her what happened to the store front, she sighs, explaining, “We’re not entirely sure, but from the security footage, it was some kind of ice monster.” She went to get our orders, then came back and continued, “Mr. Poll thinks it’s someone from Smiley Treats, but even they don’t have the ability to become a monster.”

Smiley Treats and Freezy Breezy had this sort of rivalry, though it was odd given they didn’t even sell the same product. Sure pranks and trying to outdo each other, but it didn’t ever really resort to vandalism. But that doesn’t mean it’s impossible for someone there to have gotten a hold of a Gaia Memory.

As Andy and I left, we agreed we’d take a detour and head over to Smiley Treats, to see if we could find something there. We were startled to see that the exterior of Smiley Treats had also been damaged. That was odd.

When we asked the employee there about the damages, he told us something similar to what we heard at Freezy Breezy. That the security showed it was some kind of monster that could shoot a hardening material that seemed like whipped cream and that the owner Jessy Marine thought that it was caused by someone from Freezy Breezy.

It became clear that this rivalry was going way too far.

We went home, ready to prepare for a stakeout.

* * *

**Persons of Interest**

**Elyse Anders:** Listen, I’m not the most sociable, nor the most athletic, my skills generally lay in book smarts, which benefits me minimally in everyday life. Still, it doesn’t take a genius to figure out there’s something going on here, even if I’m not sure what. I don’t know if I want to be the one to find out, but if no one else is going to look into it… Then shouldn’t I? I don’t really think that I’m suited to be a Kamen Rider, though. Age 19.

**Andy Mayfield:** My best friend, he’ participated in sports all throughout Middle and Elementary school, making him in far better shape than me. I trust him greatly, and regardless of whatever’s going on, I know I’m glad he’s the one who’s going through it with me. Now that we’re certain that the Gaia Memories exist here - for whatever reason - we can use that to our advantage. Look up what the Memories did in series, like he did today. At least Wikis still exist, glad those haven’t just. Phased out of existence or something. Age 19.

**Edda Poe:** Even though Edda can be found around our campus, her family’s too rich for her to be attending community college. I don’t think she’s actually enrolled here. Not sure why she hangs around though. You can usually find her in this one lab on campus. I guess no one cares because her family established the place, probably gives you some pretty good privileges. She seems to be close with Mr. Owen, who was supposedly an old family friend. In all honesty, I don’t know much about  _ her _ personally. Just her family. She created the Kit Driver, using the Lion Gaia Memory as a base for its power. She’s pretty smart, given that achievement. She seems to have an understanding of the Gaia Memories and their power, I think as long as we’re looking into them, we’ll be working with her, too. Her family runs a company, started by her grandparents, known to donate to everyone in the area as being particularly generous. Age, like, 20-something.

**Jessy Marine:** Owner of Smiley Treats, she’s a nice woman. She likes the local youths and is generally a very down to Earth person. Except when it comes to the rivalry with Freezy Breezy.

**Gary Poll:** Owner of Freezy Breezy, he quite likes the teens and young adults who work for him. Probably because they're a good source of business for him too. Ultimately, a pretty decent guy, though he takes the rivalry with Smiley Treats  _ way _ too seriously.

**Places of Interest**

**Calamity:** The city that Poe Corp is based out of, as well as where Andy and I live. There are three towns around it, though still several miles away: Miriad, Poe, and Dirge, Thankfully, they’re all pretty close, making it easy enough to traverse around, so long as you’re to drive at least half an hour.

**Poe Community College:** A community college established by Poe Corp, like many things in Calamity and the surrounding towns. This is where Andy and I attend. Edda, despite not attending PCC, can still be found around there, in one of the labs, as it is where Mr. Owen works.

**Smiley Treats:** A sweets shop in Calamity. Owned by Jessy Marine, the shop specializes in baked goods. Has a rivalry with Freezy Breezy. Recently, there has been a string of vandalisms. They seemed to be connected to a Dopant.

**Freezy Breezy:** A sweets shop in Calamity. Owned by Gary Poll, the shop specializes in frozen treats. Has a rivalry with Smiley Treats. Recently, there has been a string of vandalisms. They seemed to be connected to a Dopant.

**Items of Interest**

**Gaia Memories:** Strange, larger than average, USBs that contain extreme power. When used without a buffer, they turn people into monsters, called Dopants. The power of a Gaia Memories are best countered with Gaia Memories. I assume this is why the Lost Driver, Double Drivers, and whatever other things exist in series. But if these are really Gaia Memories, why are they here? They shouldn’t exist in our world! They should be fictional!

**Kit Driver:** The driver created by Edda to be used with the Lion Gaia Memory. Though I currently have it, I don’t think I’m cut out to be a Kamen Rider. I think I’ll give it and the Lion Memory to Edda, let her find someone else. Maybe Andy could do it.

**_Gaia Memories:_ **

**_Lion:_ ** _ The Gaia Memory that is mainly used in conjunction with the Kit Driver. I found it on Andy’s lawn one day. _

**_Sweets:_ ** _ The Gaia Memory that seems to be used to terrorise Smiley Treats. Why would someone do that, though? Rivalry gone too far? _

**_Iceage:_ ** _ The Gaia Memory that seems to be used to terrorise Freeze Breezy. It seems to be stronger than the Sweets Dopant. Could it have something to do with the other Dopant as well? _


	4. Case File 2: Falling Into Rhythm/Rivalries Always End

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Elyse can't get away from being a Kamen Rider.

While we were killing time back home, we decided to do some research into the Gaia Memories that might be at fault here. We were pretty confident that it was the Sweet and Iceage. Sweet could make whip cream that could harden like concrete. Iceage was pretty easy to figure out since it was the only Memory that could freeze things.

Then we went over the plan. “I’ll check out Smiley Treats and you check out Freezy Breezy?” I offered. 

With a shrug, he just responded, “Yeah sure, just make sure you have your phone on vibrate, that way it doesn’t make too much noise if I have to call you because a Dopant showed up.”

There was the part I wanted to talk about most, “Actually, maybe you should take the Memory and the Driver?” When he asked me why I thought that, I told him, “Well, you know… I just think you’d be better at this. You’re more athletic and all.”

“I guess you’ve got a point,” With that I handed him the Driver and the Memory and we went on our way.

We ended up waiting for quite a while before anything happened. I was hoping that I wouldn’t have to call Andy, but it’d still be better than me having to deal with the Dopants. Unfortunately for me, there were a lot of things going on and none of them were in my favor. First, the Dopant - the Sweet Dopant, it looked like - shows up. Then, before I could call Andy - hell I couldn’t even bring my phone out - The Kit Driver appeared around my waist and the Lion Memory in my hand. I believe my thoughts were something like “what the fuck?”.

But I figured if  _ I _ had the Driver then Andy didn’t, so there wasn’t much to do but use it for the intended purpose, especially given the Dopant across the road from me. I chose not to waste anymore time trying to understand the inner machinations of something crazy like this. So I just transformed, becoming Kit again.

Fighting the Dopant wasn’t too hard, barring my own lack of skill in fighting and other athletics. Once I Rider Kicked the Gaia Memory into breaking, I realized who was using the Memory. Mr. Poll, the owner of Freezy Breezy. God, talk about a rivalry gone too far.

“Don’t cause anymore trouble,” I growled at him, “Now where did you even get that?”

He kinda stumbled back and responded, “I… Some people in suits, I don’t know anything more.”

“Of course,” I grumbled, “Now if you’ll excuse me, I’m going to go check on  _ your  _ store.” I had a feeling I knew who was behind the other Dopant.

I ran towards Freezy Breezy, hoping that if the Dopant had showed up, Andy was fine. It didn’t take long to get there, and lo and behold, I was not surprised by what I saw. What we had established earlier as the Iceage Dopant, wrecking havoc.

This one was harder to fight, it seemed to be a bit stronger. Quite a bit, actually, but I did my best. After a bit and what was a very tiring fight, I managed to defeat this one too. The user was, unsurprisingly, Ms. Marine, the owner of Smiley Treats.

“You two took your rivalry way too far,” I told her, amazed that I was scolding another person who was twice my age and should really know better. “You’re lucky I’m not the police. Now where did you get that USB?”

She looked away for a moment, before responding, “I got it from some guys in an alley, in suits. I paid quite a bit for it. They said it would be strong.”

I groaned, then ran off and turned behind the corner of a building, finding Andy. “Did you see whether the Gaia Memory shattered or not?” He asked, wasting not time in doing so.

Tilting my head, I sort of squinted at him, “I assume so? That’s what the others did.”

He frowned, “I didn’t see any fragments or anything after you defeated the Dopant.”

I looked over to where I figured the shards should be. Like Andy had said, there was nothing there. What the heck?

“Someone must have taken it,” Andy said, “It didn’t break and then someone took it. Most likely someone connected to the people who sold it to her.”

“And whoever sold those Memories to her and Mr. Poll are probably the same ones who gave the Hopper Memory to Anna.” I added, sighing.

“The plot thickens.”

“And I can’t get rid of this belt and USB.” I groaned, “Seriously, what the hell?”

Andy laughed, “I guess you’re destined to be a Kamen Rider.”

“Yeah,” I shot back, “But I don’t want to be one.”

* * *

**Persons of Interest**

**Elyse Anders:** Listen, I’m not the most sociable, nor the most athletic, my skills generally lay in book smarts, which benefits me minimally in everyday life. Still, it doesn’t take a genius to figure out there’s something going on here, even if I’m not sure what. I don’t know if I want to be the one to find out, but if no one else is going to look into it… Then shouldn’t I? I don’t really think that I’m suited to be a Kamen Rider, though. Age 19.

**Andy Mayfield:** My best friend, he’ participated in sports all throughout Middle and Elementary school, making him in far better shape than me. I trust him greatly, and regardless of whatever’s going on, I know I’m glad he’s the one who’s going through it with me. Now that we’re certain that the Gaia Memories exist here - for whatever reason - we can use that to our advantage. Look up what the Memories did in series, like he did today. At least Wikis still exist, glad those haven’t just. Phased out of existence or something. Age 19.

**Edda Poe:** Even though Edda can be found around our campus, her family’s too rich for her to be attending community college. I don’t think she’s actually enrolled here. Not sure why she hangs around though. You can usually find her in this one lab on campus. I guess no one cares because her family established the place, probably gives you some pretty good privileges. She seems to be close with Mr. Owen, who was supposedly an old family friend. In all honesty, I don’t know much about  _ her _ personally. Just her family. She created the Kit Driver, using the Lion Gaia Memory as a base for its power. She’s pretty smart, given that achievement. She seems to have an understanding of the Gaia Memories and their power, I think as long as we’re looking into them, we’ll be working with her, too. Her family runs a company, started by her grandparents, known to donate to everyone in the area as being particularly generous. Age, like, 20-something.

**Jessy Marine:** Owner of Smiley Treats, she’s a nice woman. She likes the local youths and is generally a very down to Earth person. Except when it comes to the rivalry with Freezy Breezy. She seemed to have bought the Iceage Memory from the same people as Anna. We need to find out more about these people, especially since the Iceage Memory was stronger than the Sweets and Hopper Memories.

**Gary Poll:** Owner of Freezy Breezy, he quite likes the teens and young adults who work for him. Probably because they're a good source of business for him too. Ultimately, a pretty decent guy, though he takes the rivalry with Smiley Treats  _ way _ too seriously. Like Jessy, bought the Sweets Memory from some shady people. He didn't seem to be aware that Jessy also bought one, until now.

**Places of Interest**

**Calamity:** The city that Poe Corp is based out of, as well as where Andy and I live. There are three towns around it, though still several miles away: Miriad, Poe, and Dirge, Thankfully, they’re all pretty close, making it easy enough to traverse around, so long as you’re to drive at least half an hour.

**Poe Community College:** A community college established by Poe Corp, like many things in Calamity and the surrounding towns. This is where Andy and I attend. Edda, despite not attending PCC, can still be found around there, in one of the labs, as it is where Mr. Owen works.

**Smiley Treats:** A sweets shop in Calamity. Owned by Jessy Marine, the shop specializes in baked goods. Has a rivalry with Freezy Breezy. Recently, there has been a string of vandalisms. They seemed to be connected to a Dopant.

**Freezy Breezy:** A sweets shop in Calamity. Owned by Gary Poll, the shop specializes in frozen treats. Has a rivalry with Smiley Treats. Recently, there has been a string of vandalisms. They seemed to be connected to a Dopant.

**Items of Interest**

**Gaia Memories:** Strange, larger than average, USBs that contain extreme power. When used without a buffer, they turn people into monsters, called Dopants. The power of a Gaia Memories are best countered with Gaia Memories. I assume this is why the Lost Driver, Double Drivers, and whatever other things exist in series. But if these are really Gaia Memories, why are they here? They shouldn’t exist in our world! They should be fictional!

**Kit Driver:** The driver created by Edda to be used with the Lion Gaia Memory. Though I currently have it, I don’t think I’m cut out to be a Kamen Rider. I think I’ll give it and the Lion Memory to Edda, let her find someone else. Maybe Andy could do it.

**_Gaia Memories:_ **

**_Lion:_ ** _ The Gaia Memory that is mainly used in conjunction with the Kit Driver. I found it on Andy’s lawn one day. _

**_Sweets:_ ** _ The Gaia Memory that was used to terrorise Smiley Treats. _

**_Iceage:_ ** _ The Gaia Memory that was used to terrorise Freeze Breezy. It seems to be stronger than the Sweets Dopant. I couldn't find any fragments of it though? Was it one of the ones that don't break? If so, where did it go? _


	5. Case File 3: Blowing Past Limits/Is It All An Act?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Investigation Start!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Geez, what happened to these chapters being short?

In Calamity and the surrounding areas, there’s actually two theatres. One only does movies, that’s over in Miriad - Miriad has a lot of housing so it’s no surprise. But the one Andy and I were at now was the Blaze Theatre, in Calamity. In general, it was closer to Andy’s house, but that wasn’t the only reason that we were here. One of Andy’s classmates had a younger sibling who sometimes volunteered at the theatre, and apparently had noticed that some people were acting odd. That was one reason. The other reason was that there had been posters plastered around the city, and they declared that Ben Palla was getting a puppet show all to himself.

Ben Palla is a student at PCC, at least I think he still is - I had a class with him last year. In his freetime, Ben liked to do puppet shows. Not amazing or anything, but decent enough. The stories of the shows could use some work, though. So it was quite a surprise that he was getting a whole show to himself.

Now there could be a whole lot of reasons for this, there could be little reason at all, but you couldn’t deny it was suspicious, especially given recent events. As Andy and I were figuring out, tracking down these Gaia Memories and Dopants required a bit of poking around.

For example, yesterday we tracked down a waiter at a restaurant in the city. He’d come upon the Memory through pure happenstance, but had no desire to use it. This was mainly because it was the Spider Gaia Memory, and he was terrified of Spiders. So now I had another Gaia Memory in my pocket.

Which brings us back to now, where Andy and I approached Blaze Theatre. Now it was entirely possible that Ben had actually gotten significantly better with his shows. But it was very unlikely.

Blaze Theatre was run by a woman named Miya Corin, a nice woman, to my knowledge. I never really met her, but anyone who’s gone to some of the shows put on here would know her name and what she looked like. She was the one who decided to allow small acts to perform in this sort of compilation show. That’s what Ben had been doing for her performances, until now.

Andy and I knew that finding Ben and talking to him wouldn’t be easy, but we’d have to manage somehow. Maybe we could find someone who could point us in his direction, or something. Although, there was the chance that he wouldn’t want to talk to us anyway, especially if we pressed him about his sudden improvement. If his rise in the theatre has anything to do with a Gaia Memory, he’s not going to want us to get too close to that. Maybe we could talk to Ms. Corin?

I stopped as we stood just outside of the theatre and looked at Andy. “I have an idea to get us closer to both Ms. Corin and Ben,” I said.

Tilting his head, Andy asked, “Okay, what’s this idea?”

“We pretend to have an act for the small time show,” I explained, “It would get us in the theatre, able to talk to Ms. Corin, and with luck, able to talk to Ben.”

“That could work,” Andy nodded, “But there’s one problem.”

“What?”

“We’d need an act,” He responded dryly, “Hell, if it takes us long enough, we might actually need to perform it. So it has to be something we can actually do and not something we could just avoid showing others.”

He had a point, unfortunately. If we were going to claim to have an act, we’d need to have something we could do, preferably both of us. That would be tricky to come up with, neither of us were particularly skilled with things you could perform. 

I sighed, “Yeah, okay, that might be a problem,”

The front doors to the theatre opened and a woman walked out, fiddling with the lock on the doors. It didn’t take her long to notice the two of us standing there. This was Miya Corin.

“Can I help you?” She asked, turning to face us.

Smiling in what I hoped was a natural way, I replied, “We wanted to do our little act this weekend, or next, or whenever there’s an opening.”

Ms. Corin regarded us for a moment, before giving us a small smile. “Well you two are in luck,” She said, “We just had someone cancel and have an opening.”

“How lucky,” Andy noted, though he sounded less than enthused. Ms. Corin led us into the theatre, passing by the few early arrivals who were practicing their acts.

“So what do you two do?” She asked, glancing back at the two of us curiously. It was unfortunate she asked this question now, given we hadn’t actually had the chance to figure it out.

“Uh,” Andy began, glancing sideways at me.

Using my totally barely existent quick thinking skills - that was generally more Andy’s thing - I answered Ms. Corin’s question. “We sing,” I said, though Andy shot me a look that was a cross between a glare and a confused look.

We were in Ms. Corin’s office now, and she sat in her chair at her desk. She gave us a curious look, “Oh really? Let’s hear it, then.”

I looked over at Andy and pulled out my phone, nodding, “Yeah, uh, give me a sec to get some music with it.”

The music started playing from my phone, a song that at least was a duet and both Andy and I listened to enough to know the lyrics. Andy realized what the song was quick enough.

**_The sky turns red swallowing up each and every being in this town_ **

**_Hopes, hearts, everything is falling down_ **

Then I came in, singing the next part.

**_Far away in the skyline_ **

**_A crowd of apparitions crawling around_ **

**_It's calling, it's calling_ **

**_Growing louder_ **

Neither of us were amazing singers, but hopefully it would be enough. Andy continued at his part.

**_Are we the future of this burning hell?_ **

Then the two of us sang together.

**_It's a fight for our paradise_ **

**_Fight for our lives_ **

**_So keep holding on, keep holding on_ **

**_Until we break the spell_ **

**_Free yourself, reach for the light in darkness and despair_ **

**_If there comes a time when you're falling down_ **

**_I'll be your savior_ **

There’s enough of a stop in the lyrics that I stop the music playing from my phone. After a moment, Ms. Corin nodded, “Wonderful, we’re happy to have you.”

“Cool,” I responded, “Hey could we ask you about someone?”

“I don’t see why not,” She responded, “Who did you want to ask about?”

Andy shoved his hands in his pant pockets, “We saw those posters of Ben Palla’s and were curious about him. We’ve seen a couple of his little performances a while ago, but I guess he must have improved.”

Ms. Corin frowned for a moment before responding, “Well, he’s got talent, I think he’ll really draw in a crowd.”

“Really?” I asked, “What did you see that you liked so much?”

There was a pause, almost a bit unnaturally, before she gave her answer, “I just think he’s got so much potential, he just needs the opportunity.”

Looking at Andy, he sighed and shook his head, rolling his eyes a little. It was clear we weren’t going to get anywhere with this. The two of us nod at Ms. Corin, “Right, well thanks for everything, Ms. Corin.”

“Feel free to use one of the back rooms to practice.”

“Yeah, we probably will,” Andy nodded as the two of us left her office. He turned to me as we began to walk down the hall towards one of the back rooms, “So was it just me or were her responses… Weird?”

“Oh totally,” I answered, “The question is, is she just acting shifty, or is this caused by a Gaia Memory?”

Andy shrugged, finding a room that was open, “Hard to say just yet. We haven’t seen a Dopant…”

“But that doesn’t mean that there isn’t one or isn’t at least a Gaia Memory around here.”

He nodded, “Yeah, I guess we’ll have to do some asking around.”

Nodding as well, I added, “And hopefully we’ll be able to talk with Ben.”

“Hopefully,”

The two of us took a moment to decide how we’d talk to people. We’d wait a bit for more people to arrive, then we’d start asking around. In the meantime, we decided we could actually work on our so-called act. After all, the performance was Saturday evening and it was Friday. We’d have to work fast if we wanted to get around actually having to perform. Regardless, we needed to figure out what was going on before Sunday, which was Ben’s performance.

After figuring out the details and practicing for a bit, we left the room and went about talking to people. Unsurprisingly, no one seemed to know much about Ben or his sudden new act. As it turns out, the only one who didn’t seem surprised or confused was Ms. Corin - and probably Ben himself.

“Hey,” I finally asked someone, “Do you know if Ben’s around here?”

The person shrugged, “I dunno…” Then they pointed towards the stage in the main room of the theatre, “But if he’s here, then he’s in there.”

“Right, right, thanks,” I nodded.

I found Andy, who wasn’t having any better luck than I was, and started to lead him to the stage, “Let’s try talking to Ben.”

“If he really does have a Gaia Memory,” Andy warned, “He might try attacking you.”

I glanced back at him, “He might,” I agreed, “But he doesn’t have any reason to think I can fight him. If he’s gonna attack either of us, it’ll be when we won’t be able to tell that it’s him.”

Humming for a moment, he nodded and they continued on. We enter the room for the stage, currently backstage, and see Ben with all his puppets. He’s arranging them, quietly muttering to himself.

“Uh, Ben?” I called, realizing that I hadn’t really thought too much about what I’d say when talking to him. I hoped that Andy had a better idea than I did.

Ben looked up at us, giving us curious looks. “I haven’t seen you before,” He noted, shifting around to better face them, the puppet he was holding sitting on a table.

“Yeah… We’re new around here, thought we’d get to know some people around here…” I said, “That and we saw your posters and were curious.”

“You know, you really just seem to get a lot more popular, recently,” Andy added, “Of course, maybe you’re just that good.”

Laughing at Andy’s last comment, Ben grinned, “I’m really just that good. It just took Ms. Corin a while to notice it.” Not exactly humble, but it was an answer. Still, it seemed a bit off, like he was hiding something.

But how could we figure out whether or not Ben had a Gaia Memory? We couldn’t just ask him after all… I mean we could, but then we might be playing a card from our hand too early.

“Right, right,” I said, “Hey, I have another thing to ask.”

Ben hummed, “I mean, I’ll be happy to answer,”

“Cool, cool,” Andy said, “So do you know anything about these suspicious USB things? We’ve been hearing some rumors about them and want to see if anyone actually knows anything about them.”

At that, Ben seemed to pause for a moment, looking a bit startled. “Suspicious USB things?” He repeated, a bit daze like, “I uh, well I can’t say I have…”

Yeah, because his reaction and response wasn’t suspicious at all. If Ben didn’t have a Gaia Memory, then he at least had encountered one or someone tried to give him one. We’d have to look into what Gaia Memory might be being used here. If we did have to fight a Dopant, we needed to be prepared.

“Ah, well thanks anyway,” I added before pointing towards Andy, “We should be going. We’ve got to… practice ourselves, you know.” With that we left and returned to the room we’d been in earlier. 

Andy plops down and sits on a box against the wall, looking at me as I did much the same, though on the floor with my back against the wall. “So he totally has a Gaia Memory,” He began, continuing after I nodded in response, “Which do you think it could be?”

I sighed, “I have no clue. Not like I know what all we have to work with, anyway…” I thought about any strange behaviors that might have been shown by anyone. Obviously, Ben was acting a bit strange, but that was likely because he had something to hide, not because he himself was affected by a Gaia Memory. Ms. Corin definitely was acting odd in regards to Ben, so maybe that was something. “I guess whatever it is, it probably affects others in some way. Like a reason for the odd behavior from Ms Corin.”

Humming, Andy pulled out his phone, tapping at the screen, “Right, so something that could influence or change how someone behaves. Or maybe control the person entirely?”

“Something like that,”

“I’ll see what I can find,” Andy said, “Maybe you should try keeping an eye on Ben.”

I nodded, “Yeah, maybe I can catch him with the Memory or something,” I stood up, making sure I had the Kit Driver and Lion memory in my pocket, just to be safe.

“Grab the Spider Memory, too,” Andy said, glancing up from his phone, “Edda thinks that you might be able to use it for like a Limit Break or something.” I reached into my bag and pulled out the Spider Memory, placing it into my pocket alongside the Lion Memory. I really didn’t want to fight Ben, but I needed to be prepared.

As I’d often been someone used to not being noticed by others, slipping past people like this wasn’t hard, though the fact I was purposely trying to definitely made it feel like everyone was seeing me. Still, with a deep breath, I kept moving, slinking backstage where Ben was. I stepped as quietly and slowly as I could, keeping an eye on Ben and his movements. 

Thankfully, it didn’t seem like anyone really came in here, like they were giving Ben space. Maybe they also realized that there was something really weird going on. Ben didn’t do anything weird, until I finally heard him say something about going to get lunch. I rushed out of the room, finding a suitable quiet but nearby place to pull out my phone and pretend to be on a call. Ben left and went past without incident. I waited a bit, before checking to make sure he was gone.

I slipped into the room and went over the table he had been working at. It was littered with various tools, scissors, glue, fabric, and of course, puppets. I noted that he took his backpack with him, which had previously been sitting on the ground beside the table. Chances were that was where he kept the Gaia Memory, but he was also a young college student, so I could rule out him being sloppy.

I didn’t want to disturb the table too much, but I looked around it and moved a few things, before putting them back. Nothing, or at least nothing unusual. It wasn’t surprising, but I’d been hoping that it could have been easier. Then I heard the door opening.

Where the table was couldn’t be immediately seen from the door, so I had just a few moments. I dived behind a stack of boxes, hoping that they would hide me. It hadn’t been long since Ben left, so I could imagine he was coming back. Still, he could have forgotten. Thankfully, while it wasn’t Ben, it turned out to be a group of other people from here in the theatre.

“Ugh, his puppets are as ugly as ever,” One guy scoffed, and I could see a bit of him flicking one the puppets on the table.

There’s a rustling sound and then something like a marker being uncapped. “Well that can be fixed,” Another girl said, “We’re rather artistic, after all.”

“Let’s just hurry,” A third said, “After all, Petey needs to be out of here before Ben gets back. We don’t want to waste time.”

I felt like I should probably do something, but I wasn’t going to blow my cover just for that. So I waited. And waited. The three hadn’t left when the door opened again, instead freezing at the sound, one of them dropping a marker and yelping.

I couldn’t quite make out a sound, but then something comes barrelling through the room, footsteps thudding. Judging by the screams and the one guy yelling “Monster!” as well as the heavy footsteps, I assumed it was a Dopant.

Pulling out the Kit Driver and placing it on my waist, I grabbed the Lion Memory and transformed. I was right in assuming it was a Dopant. The puppets around the room came to life, clambering towards the three. I began to quick some of them away, though this only made the Dopant more angry.

**“Don’t touch my puppets!"** The Dopant roared, bringing it’s flute up to its mouth. From the flute came a force that pushed the three and I back. The three were thrown into the wall, while I managed to barely keep some semblance of placement through use of my claws.

Then, the Dopant ran out the door, into the halls, prompting me to sprint after it. I chased it around for a bit, but it clearly knew the theatre better than I did, losing me. I had no clue where it was, so I returned out of my transformation and went to find Andy.

Andy was with a crowd in the backstage, Ms. Corin helped the three as everyone looked around in horror. Whispers of the monster that appeared were spread, as well as the person who tried to stop it.

“A Kamen Rider,” Andy commented as I came towards him, drawing the attention of several around him. “Like the show.” When it was clear no one knew what he was talking about, he pulled out his phone and showed them some pictures, continuing to explain.

“Kamen Rider,” Someone repeated, “Sounds cool! But like, we can’t just call ‘em Kamen Rider, can we?”

“They kind of look like a cat or - no wait - a, a lion!” Another said, “Maybe something like… Leo! Or - or - Leon?”

This was all kinda entertaining, but given I already had a name… “How about Kit?” I suggested, hoping that they’d all go for it. Edda was the one who came up with the name, but at this point it would be weird to change.

There was silence for a moment, before someone responded, “That sounds so boring,” They said, “There’s no way that’s cool enough for someone who fights monsters.”

I sighed, as everyone left to go about what they’d been doing previously. As Andy and I went to the room we’d been in, I asked, “Did you see the Dopant?”

We entered the room and he grabbed his bag, responding, “I looked it up. I already had it narrowed down, but now I know for sure.” He shows me a wiki page on his phone, “The Puppeteer Gaia Memory.”

* * *

**Persons of Interest**

**Elyse Anders:** Listen, I’m not the most sociable, nor the most athletic, my skills generally lay in book smarts, which benefits me minimally in everyday life. I want to figure out what’s going on, what’s with these shady people selling and giving Gaia Memories. I don’t know what awaits me at the end and I’m not sure I’m ready for it. What will I do if I find myself in over my head? Age 19.

**Andy Mayfield:** My best friend, he’ participated in sports all throughout Middle and Elementary school, making him in far better shape than me. I trust him greatly, and regardless of whatever’s going on, I know I’m glad he’s the one who’s going through it with me. He’s doing his best to help, usually resulting in him looking up details about the Dopant we’re fighting or it’s Gaia Memory on the interest. Age 19.

**Edda Poe:** Even though Edda can be found around our campus, her family’s too rich for her to be attending community college. She’s not enrolled here, though, she goes to Gaia Calamity College. She created the Kit Driver, using the Lion Gaia Memory as a base for its power. She’s pretty smart, given that achievement. She seems to have an understanding of the Gaia Memories and their power, I think as long as we’re looking into them, we’ll be working with her, too. Her family runs a company, started by her grandparents, known to donate to everyone in the area as being particularly generous. Age 21.

**Ben Palla:** Ben was a small time puppeteer, at least until now. He suddenly got the attention of the owner and manager of Blaze Theatre, resulting in him getting this big show he’s going to put on. It’s odd, so we ended up looking into it. Ben’s shows aren’t that great. Age 23.

**Miya Corin:** The owner and manager of Blaze Theatre, she’s friendly enough. Tends to let small time wannabe performers put on little performances in the theatre. Has a whole two hour show that’s a compilation of the small acts. Apparently, she’s recently taken an interest in Ben’s performances. We’ve decided to poke into it, a little.

**Places of Interest**

**Calamity:** The city that Poe Corp is based out of, as well as where Andy and I live. There are three towns around it, though still several miles away: Miriad, Poe, and Dirge, Thankfully, they’re all pretty close, making it easy enough to traverse around, so long as you’re to drive at least half an hour.

**Poe Community College:** A community college established by Poe Corp, like many things in Calamity and the surrounding towns. This is where Andy and I attend. Edda, despite not attending PCC, can still be found around there, in one of the labs, as it is where Mr. Owen works.

**Blaze Theatre:** A theatre owned by Miya Corin. A bunch of people there have been acting weirdly, but no one knows why. Not even the people acting weird. Maybe it’s a Gaia Memory?

**Items of Interest**

**Gaia Memories:** Strange, larger than average, USBs that contain extreme power. When used without a buffer, they turn people into monsters, called Dopants. The power of a Gaia Memories are best countered with Gaia Memories. I assume this is why the Lost Driver, Double Drivers, and whatever other things exist in series. But if these are really Gaia Memories, why are they here? They shouldn’t exist in our world! They should be fictional!

**Kit Driver:** The driver created by Edda to be used with the Lion Gaia Memory. In theory, I know that I’m not really suited to be a Kamen Rider, but somehow, I can’t help but wonder… Could I be a good Kamen Rider, despite that? I can’t give it to someone else, Edda says the Lion Memory has chosen me and won’t let anyone else use it.

**_Gaia Memories:_ **

**_Lion:_ ** _ The Gaia Memory that is mainly used in conjunction with the Kit Driver. I found it on Andy’s lawn one day. Seems to have chosen me to use it, for some reason. _

**_Spider:_ ** _ The Gaia Memory used by a man who worked at a restaurant as a waiter. He was afraid of spiders, giving it to me as soon as he had the opportunity. I’m not really sure what to do with it. _

**_Puppeteer:_ ** _ The Gaia Memory that the Dopant who showed up when those people were messing with Ben’s puppets. Clearly something is going on here. _


	6. Case File 3: Blowing Past Limits/ Enter, a Cyclone of Power!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The show must go on!

It’s Saturday now, the day of the performance, and Andy and I are going over our plan for today with Edda. “We need to get that Gaia Memory soon,” I said.

“Do you even know for sure who has it?” Edda inquired, looking over my writings from yesterday on her phone. “It certainly seems like this Ben, but…”

Andy shrugged, “It’s probably him, but it’s not like we really need to know in order to stop him as a Dopant.”

“Still,” I said, “I’d rather just get the Gaia Memory from him and not have to fight him.”

Humming, Edda looked up at us, “Well, good luck. I think I might stop by for the performance, even.”

Looking at each other, Andy and I groaned, “Right,” I remembered how we got into the theatre in the first place, “We have to  _ perform _ .”

“We’ll manage,” Andy grinned, “Now let’s go. We still need to confront Ben.”

We get to the Blaze Theatre and immediately notice that something’s… off. People are whispering to themselves and there’s a tense air.

Andy asks someone near the door, “Is something up?”

“Ben hasn’t shown up today. It’s weird.” The person responded, “Especially given it was  _ his _ puppet that those three drew all over yesterday.”

“Yeah,” Andy said, “Weird.”

Ben hadn’t shown up by the time the performance started, which was worrisome. This also meant Andy and I had plenty of time to practice, though I wasn’t exactly looking forward to it. Although, it didn’t stay so quiet.

One the performance got a couple acts in, some of the puppets backstage sprung to life. Then the Puppeteer Dopant waltzed on stange, scaring off the people on stage. I grabbed my driver and ducked into the now empty wings, transforming. Backstage, I could slightly hear as Ms. Corin tries to usher people off.

“Alright, Puppeteer! I’m not going to let you wreck this show!” I called as I kicked away some of the puppets.

_ “Ladies and Gentlemen!”  _ I hear Andy over the speakers, clearly having gotten a hold of a microphone.  _ “Look who’s here to save the day! Our local hero!” _

Dodging out of the way of a swing of Puppeteer’s flute, I spin and kick him. “With a Loud Roar!” I called, “Kamen Rider Kit!” As I spoke, a wind kicked up, though from where I didn’t know. Something flew into my hand and I looked down at it.

A Gaia Memory, the Cyclone Memory, by the looks of it. Distracted by the Memory, Puppeteer managed to hit me,  **“So what?”** He asked, “ **You’re some superhero - some vigilante or something? What do you think you can do against me?”**

Somewhat dazed I could almost hear something, something that didn’t quite seem right.  _ “Are you ready to ride with the Devil?”  _ **_Cyclone! Jo-_ ** then it faded away. Now why did that sound familiar? Those sounds at the end were certainly the Cyclone Gaia Memory and another but...

I glanced at the Memory in my hand, then removed the Lion Memory from it’s slot, replacing it with the Cyclone Memory. I flicked the switch on the belt up and then down again, wind building up around me. Finally, my armor changed, now bearing greens and flowing garments, and a scarf.

With my new speed and agility, I was able to dodge Puppeteers upcoming attacks. I grabbed the Spider Memory and slotted it into the slot at my hip.

“I’ll protect any and everything on this Earth!” I called, before kicking Puppeteer. The lights cut out as Ben was knocked to the floor, the Puppeteer Gaia Memory landing beside him. The Spider Memory shattered when I went to remove it, leaving me with a handful of dust and shards. Huh, so that’s what happens.

I walked over and picked up the Gaia Memory as I heard Andy speak again,  **“Everyone, let’s thank Kit for stopping that monster!”** An applause broke out.

Looking at Ben, who still seemed a bit dazed, I quietly said, “Practice will do you a lot more good than using this,” I waved the Memory, “And apologize to Ms. Corin. Or don’t, I can’t tell you what to do.”

Ben scrambled up, rushing off stage as I left, thankful for the dark cover. I found a place to detranform, sighing. Well, at least I got the Puppeteer Memory from Ben, and I’d gotten a new Memory to use for a form. But where did it come from? And what was that thing I heard? It seemed almost like a Memory.

While fighting… It seemed like someone was moving with me, telling me how to use the Memory. What could that be? Maybe Edda had some ideas, I’d have to ask her later.

“Well, uh, everyone,” I heard Ms. Corin speak to the audience, “You know what they say, I suppose, the show must go on!”

Then Andy came up to me and I realized it was our turn. Well, from one fight to another, I supposed. In a way… I guess it was fitting, the song we ended up choosing.

As we walked onto the stage and the music started, ( **_W-B-X Crime and the city)_ ** , I readied to start with Andy singing alongside me, in some spots.

**_Once again, someone's knocking at the door_ **

**_Got a feeling it's a case; Welcome to Windy city_ **

**_Tears do not go well with this city_ **

**_Find the Keyword that's concealed in the darkness_ **

**_A dream that I cannot reach alone_ **

**_(Look into the infinite archives,_ **

**_dive into the sea of memories)_ **

**_But with you around, we can make it come true, Half and Half_ **

**_(Double Boiled Extreme!)_ **

**_W-B-X!_ **

**_The Bodies & Souls of two,_ **

**_(I'll ride with Only you and no other)_ **

**_Become one_ **

**_W-B-X!_ **

**_Upon meeting the ultimate partner_ **

**_A miracle will be created (So We can make it)_ **

**_Search for W (Double)!_ **

**_(W-B-X Crime and the city)_ **

**_The chaos of the city, the alluring scent of danger_ **

**_A storm is coming; Welcome to Windy city_ **

**_Slip through the congesting News and lies_ **

**_Find the Keyword that's hidden from sight_ **

**_Someday, the strength of this combination of trust_ **

**_(As halves, the two are extreme,_ **

**_Skills are unleashed from 2 ways)_ **

**_Will, with no doubt, save this city, trust and trust_ **

**_(Double Boiled Extreme!)_ **

**_W-B-X!_ **

**_The Bodies & Souls of fate,_ **

**_(It can be no one else but Only you alone)_ **

**_Become one_ **

**_W-B-X!_ **

**_The ultimate chemistry has happened_ **

**_Sweep away the topic (So We can make it)_ **

**_Search for W!_ **

**_People have disappeared from there,_ **

**_And now, the city is but an empty box_ **

**_The wind that connects us together,_ **

**_There's no sign of cessation!_ **

**_W-B-X!_ **

**_The Bodies & Souls of two,_ **

**_(I'll ride with Only you and no other)_ **

**_Become one_ **

**_W-B-X!_ **

**_Upon meeting the ultimate partner_ **

**_A miracle will be created (So We can make it)_ **

**_We're W (Double)!_ **

**_W-B-X!_ **

**_The Bodies & Souls of fate,_ **

**_(It can be no one else but Only you alone)_ **

**_Become one_ **

**_W-B-X!_ **

**_The ultimate chemistry has happened_ **

**_Sweep away the topic (So We can make it)_ **

**_Search for W!_ **

**_(W-B-X Crime and the city)_ **

**_(W-B-X Crime and the city)_ **

* * *

**Persons of Interest**

**Elyse Anders:** Listen, I’m not the most sociable, nor the most athletic, my skills generally lay in book smarts, which benefits me minimally in everyday life. I want to figure out what’s going on, what’s with these shady people selling and giving Gaia Memories. I don’t know what awaits me at the end and I’m not sure I’m ready for it. What will I do if I find myself in over my head? Age 19.

**Andy Mayfield:** My best friend, he’ participated in sports all throughout Middle and Elementary school, making him in far better shape than me. I trust him greatly, and regardless of whatever’s going on, I know I’m glad he’s the one who’s going through it with me. He’s doing his best to help, usually resulting in him looking up details about the Dopant we’re fighting or it’s Gaia Memory on the interest. Age 19.

**Edda Poe:** Even though Edda can be found around our campus, her family’s too rich for her to be attending community college. She’s not enrolled here, though, she goes to Gaia Calamity College. She created the Kit Driver, using the Lion Gaia Memory as a base for its power. She’s pretty smart, given that achievement. She seems to have an understanding of the Gaia Memories and their power, I think as long as we’re looking into them, we’ll be working with her, too. Her family runs a company, started by her grandparents, known to donate to everyone in the area as being particularly generous. Age 21.

**Ben Palla:** Ben was a small time puppeteer, at least until now. He suddenly got the attention of the owner and manager of Blaze Theatre, resulting in him getting this big show he’s going to put on. It’s odd, so we ended up looking into it. Ben’s shows aren’t that great. Wanted so badly to have his own show, he was willing to use the Puppeteer Memory, given to him by some shady men. Age 23.

**Miya Corin:** The owner and manager of Blaze Theatre, she’s friendly enough. Tends to let small time wannabe performers put on little performances in the theatre. Has a whole two hour show that’s a compilation of the small acts. Apparently, she’s recently taken an interest in Ben’s performances. We’ve decided to poke into it, a little.

**Callie and Callum:** Twins who can always -  _ always  _ \- be found in Calico Park. They often dress in cat themed clothing, including cat ear headbands, cat paw gloves, cat themed hoodies, and cat themed kigurumis. They take care of the cats in Calico park. They’re also friends of Andy’s - and a bit of mine. They’re willing to share information with us if we ask. They seem to agree that, from what they’ve heard and “what the cats have told them”, that Ben might have a Gaia Memory.

**Places of Interest**

**Calamity:** The city that Poe Corp is based out of, as well as where Andy and I live. There are three towns around it, though still several miles away: Miriad, Poe, and Dirge, Thankfully, they’re all pretty close, making it easy enough to traverse around, so long as you’re to drive at least half an hour.

**Poe Community College:** A community college established by Poe Corp, like many things in Calamity and the surrounding towns. This is where Andy and I attend. Edda, despite not attending PCC, can still be found around there, in one of the labs, as it is where Mr. Owen works.

**Blaze Theatre:** A theatre owned by Miya Corin. People were being controlled by the Puppeteer Memory, which explains the odd behavior.

**Calico Park:** A park located in Calamity, next to the museum. It was named due to being home to most of Calamity’s stray cat population, mainly calico cats. The cats there are cared for by a pair of twins, Callie and Callum, who are a bit eccentric.

**Items of Interest**

**Gaia Memories:** Strange, larger than average, USBs that contain extreme power. When used without a buffer, they turn people into monsters, called Dopants. The power of a Gaia Memories are best countered with Gaia Memories. I assume this is why the Lost Driver, Double Drivers, and whatever other things exist in series. But if these are really Gaia Memories, why are they here? They shouldn’t exist in our world! They should be fictional!

**Kit Driver:** The driver created by Edda to be used with the Lion Gaia Memory. In theory, I know that I’m not really suited to be a Kamen Rider, but somehow, I can’t help but wonder… Could I be a good Kamen Rider, despite that? I can’t give it to someone else, Edda says the Lion Memory has chosen me and won’t let anyone else use it.

**_Gaia Memories:_ **

**_Lion:_ ** _ The Gaia Memory that is mainly used in conjunction with the Kit Driver. I found it on Andy’s lawn one day. Seems to have chosen me to use it, for some reason. _

**_Masquerade:_ ** _ A mass produced Gaia Memory used to create the Masquerade Dopants. Though there are many of them, and more constantly being created, they aren’t powerful. The Dopants are rather easy to deal with, making them not much of a threat. _

**_Spider:_ ** _ The Gaia Memory used by a man who worked at a restaurant as a waiter. He was afraid of spiders, giving it to me as soon as he had the opportunity. It broke after I used it for a Memory Break. _

**_Puppeteer:_ ** _ The Gaia Memory that the Dopant who showed up when we started poking into the Blaze Theatre. It was being used by Ben Palla so he could have a show. I was able to retrieve this one, unlike the Iceage Memory. _

**_Cyclone:_ ** _ This Gaia Memory appeared when I was fighting the Puppeteer Dopant. It gave me a new form, Cyclone Form. I feel like I’m not the only one here… Like there’s remnants of someone else in this Memory. _


End file.
